Vatican City
The smallest country in the world offers the heart of Catholicism and among the
world's finest art collections, including the Sistine Chapel and the Raphael
Rooms (ceiling pictured). Go to Vatican City!

Austria
Belvedere Palace (pictured) is just one of many palaces found in Vienna. The capital
is a good start to Austria, which also features the Alps, the Lakes District, and
incredible history & food. Go Now!

Ukraine
Ukrainian culture is based on village life, particularly that found in the Carpathian
Mountains (pictured). Begin Your Journey!

History of Ireland

The Irish people today are descendants of a number of ethnicities,
but first and foremost they identify with the Celts, who slowly arrived in waves
over 2000 years ago. The first sign of large-scale organization came in the 400s
AD when St. Patrick (along with other men later proclaimed saints) arrived to spread
Christianity. The next sign of a unified group of people on the island came in the
600s when a single king came to power.

In the 900s the island was victim to numerous Viking raids, however these raids
also led to new settlers and new settlements, including the modern-day cities of
Dublin, Limerick, Cork, and others on or near the sea. The next people to land and
settle in Ireland were the Normans, who continued their push through England and
Great Britain to Ireland,
arriving and taking full power in the 1100s. This led to the union of Ireland and
Great Britain as both were ruled over by the same king beginning at this point.

The union between Great Britain and
Ireland continued through the 1200s and 1300s as many of the changes made
in Great Britain were also brought over to Ireland. However this Norman power on
Ireland slowly declined as the Norman rulers intermarried with the local Irish and
within 200 years there was little difference between the Normans and the Irish.
This decline was followed by a growth in Irish pride, but power and rule over the
island remained in England.

In the late 1500s Ireland was formally turned into a kingdom,
but the king was still the English ruler. During
this time, from the 1200-1500s Irish law and culture was strongly influenced by
the English ruler's ability or willingness to impose English customs on the
Irish people, creating numerous resurgences of Irish pride followed by strong English
influence. This ended in the late 1500s when the English kings took firmer control
over Ireland.

In the 1500s England altered church allegiance from
the Catholic Church to the Anglican Church, a move that had great ramifications
on the Irish people as the mostly Catholic population was forced to convert or failed
to receive many basic rights and freedoms over the next couple centuries. This essentially
ended in the late 1700s with a surge in population and the introduction of the Industrial
Revolution. This however also encouraged further Irish pride, leading to independence
movements, and later the Act of Union, passed in 1800, which, officially united
Great Britain and Ireland.

In the 1840s Ireland was struck by the Great Irish Potato
Famine, which devastated the population via death and emigration (particularly to
the United States). Following this came
another great surge in Irish pride, but this time independence from Great Britain
was the only true goal. This campaign, led primarily by Irish Catholics, continued
into the 1900s, but by then serious resistance had also begun as many Protestants
believed an independent Ireland would be controlled by the Catholic majority.

Following delays, brought upon by British and
Irish involvement in World War I, these independence movements again grew
until Ireland gained the support it needed to form its own country in 1919 (although
not all battles ended until 1923). There remained a number of counties that opposed
this movement and remained a part of Great Britain, today known as Northern Ireland.

Ireland remained neutral in World War II (WWII), but with
Northern Ireland a part of the United Kingdom, many
national Irish volunteers joined the British army and many others assisted the Allies
in multiple forms. Since WWII, Ireland has been somewhat unstable, but generally
has grown, both in population and economics. Among these changes includes Ireland's
decision to join the European Union (EU).

Finally, there has also been a lot of criticism regarding the Irish Republican Army
(IRA), which is a primarily Catholic group that is fighting to obtain the Republic
of Ireland's union with Northern Ireland. The Republic
of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Great Britain have
tried to work with this group to stop the violence and have nearly succeeded, but
the threat remains present.